Paralyzed Heart
by Cayah
Summary: AU / Bachelor and heir to the Taishou Inc., Sesshoumaru Taishou is an amiable person but turns ice-cold all of a sudden. Will Kagome, in dire need of money to keep the Higurashi shrine going, be able to help the young man back onto his feet after his tragic accident - even though he's not able to stand or walk? / A romantic story filled with intrigues, jealousy and love. / Enjoy!


**Foreword:** This is the first chapter to my first full-length chapter story! I'm still not entirely sure about my English and the probability that I have mistakes is of course greater if the chapters are longer. Nevertheless, I want to try it out and am curious as to what you think about the idea and this first chapter so far. I have most of the story already figured out, since it was spooking around my head for some time now, but the updates will be sporadic.

But for now, enjoy Chapter 1!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own InuYasha, no matter how much I would like to. It all belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

* * *

**CHAPTER 1**

_Date: August 13, 2013_

* * *

Blinding lights, rainy streets, squealing wheels, booming horns, a deafening crash. He wrapped his hands around the steering wheel, his face twisted into a mask of fear while no sound passed his compressed lips as his car was rammed and rolled over. Everything seemed to happen in slow-motion. He seemed to be flying out of his seat, not held back by a seatbelt, while the windowpanes were bursting all around him and his car rolled over once more. His eyes noticed everything around him up to the smallest detail, the slightest sound resembled an earthquake and roared in his ears, he felt every painful jolt until the airbags blew up all of a sudden and he was flung in them at full tilt. He knocked his head and his sight started to get blurry while the pain became unbearable. His car slid over the highway upside down and towards the side of the road, where it finally came to a stop. Its passenger panted, seemed to be feeling the pain everywhere while he was trapped between his seat and the dashboard, not able to free himself. A warm trickle of blood ran over his temple and his eyes closed. The last thing he saw were blue lights while his radio kept playing in the background.

_The streets are clear, dear listeners! The rain's a pleasant change from the burning heat so enjoy it as long as you can!_

And then everything turned black.

* * *

"I am sorry, but we were not able to do more for him."

Tears were gathering in Kimiko's eyes and she buried her face in Toga's shouler, sobbing, clutching her fingers tightly into his cashmere pullover, while her tears spilled and her whole body trembled. Toga wrapped a protective, supporting arm around his distraught wife, letting his other hand patted over her hair while he gave the doctor a silent nod, whereupon said doctor left soundlessly.

"Why?" Kimiko asked insistently, her voice breaking and she was at the verge of a psychical breakdown. Toga directed her softly to one of the seating accommodations and sat down next to her, wrapping his arm around the woman once more. "Why did this have to happen to my son?"

Toga did not provide her with any words of solace or appeasement because both would be inadequate in the light of the occurrences and would merely upset the usually spirited and feisty Kimiko. Therefore Toga remained silent, stroking her arms tenderly, while he put his chin on top of her head and closed his eyes, tortured. The situation was upsetting him as much as Kimiko but he had to stay strong. As the head of the family, he had to remain stable and do his utmost to make the best of this tragic situation, even though this seemed to be very naïve and utopian in this moment.

A nurse came closer to the grieving pair and offered tranquilizers but Toga declined politely while Kimiko ignored the woman altogether. She was still clutching at his clothes and after some time, she started punching his chest with clenched fists, but her strokes were weak and powerless, just as her movements.

"Father!" the trembling voice of his younger son resounded in the waiting room and Toga looked up while Kimiko broke away from her husband and rushed towards Inuyasha. He caught her in a tender embrace while he turned his shocked eyes towards his father who raised himself from the couch too and approached them.

"F-father, is it true? I-is he–?" Inuyasha started with brittle voice while tears were gathering in his eyes as Toga nodded.

"Yes, it is true. He's in a coma." He confirmed and Inuyasha buried his face in Kimiko's hair, the tears running over his cheeks. He wanted to stay strong, for his mother, for himself, but this news resembled a sudden slap in the face, knocking him off his feet and making him weak. So much could change from one day to the next and their situation was one of the most tragic ones that could betide a person. He clutched his hands desperately into his mother's back while she pressed herself into his son, a sobbing mess.

Suddenly, a hoarse cough resounded in the room and the three of them turned their attention to the intruder, an elderly man in a doctor's white coat.

"Mr. Taishou." He greeted the man that approached him while Inuyasha and Kimiko were holding onto each other in the background. Toga greeted the doctor with a strong handshake before the doctor introduced himself. "I performed the surgery, Mr. Taishou and I am s–" he never finished his sentence, because Kimiko was approaching him, stamping her feet in a rather childish manner before she grabbed his white coat, her face twisted into a tortured expression but her eyes were shining in anger.

"Why!?" she inquired. "Why did you–"

The doctor didn't let her finish, instead he grasped her wrists and adjured her insistently to calm down.

"Calm down!?" she screeched, about to begin with her tirade when two strong hands grasped her shoulders and pulled her into an embrace. Her anger vanished and she began to tremble anew, while his husband pressed her into him calmingly, whispering with his lips a silent "excuse me" to the doctor, who merely shook his head with a sympathetic look.

"Shall I give your wife tranquilizer, Mr. Taishou?" the doctor inquired but Toga thankfully shook his head no. The doctor nodded while Toga took Kimiko back to the couch, letting her sit next to Inuyasha. Toga pressed a tender kiss to the crown of her head before he turned back to the doctor.

Toga was asked to accompany the doctor out of the waiting room, which he did after a last look towards his son. He closed the door soundlessly and turned to his counterpart.

"Mr. Taishou, as I already began to tell you, I am really sorry for not being able to do more for your son. Sesshoumaru was in a critical condition when he was brought here, a severe brain concussion and some broken bones the smallest visible problems." the doctor explained and Toga's face darkened as he heard the last comment. His hand twitched. Though he was composed most of the time, he was about to be stretched to his limits – especially, since his family was at stake.

The doctor realized his mistake and bowed before Toga in a sincere apology. "Forgive me, Mr. Taishou. My team and I, we did our utmost to save your son and even if you do not agree with me in this moment – which is certainly quite understandable – the surgery was a great success. Sesshoumaru's condition was very critical but currently, though in a coma, he is stable and he will get better eventually, as long as he has enough bedrest and his family's support, which he will be needing direly, once he awakens and realizes that–"

"That what?" Toga asked almost growling exasperated, about to lose his temper at this doctor's way of beating around the bush. A very untypical trait for someone who breaks the bad news, since they usually want to get it over and done with quickly. "What's the matter with my son? Why does nobody tell us what actually is going on, for God's sake!" Toga finally exploded, clenching his hands angrily into fists, fury and pain blazing in his eyes which impaled the doctor.

"Excuse me, Mr. Taishou, but your son…" the doctor gulped. "Your son is paralyzed from the hips down."

* * *

His head was throbbing painfully, there was a pounding in his ears and an annoying beeping was bringing him to the verge of madness while he was confined to this uncomfortable bed. In the figurative sense. His joints seemed to be heavy like lead and he was not able to move. He clenched his fists around the sheets and tried to remember what happened, but a sharp pain shot through his head, making it impossible to remember. Slowly, he tried to open his eyes to see where he was although he already had a bad premonition. The hard mattress, the piercing pain and that penetrating beeping were only three indicators that supported his supposition. His eyelids seemed to weigh tons and it took physical effort for him to actually raise them and in the next instant, he knew that it had been a bad idea to do it. The hospital room's blinding white bored into his still sensitive eyes, making him squirm them shut immediately while he moaned in pain. How could such an insignificant deed cause him so much pain? And why the hell was he in a hospital? He couldn't remember anything and everything he wanted was to go back to sleep, but his whish was not granted. The beeping irritated him and prevented him from submitting to the sleep. He growled exasperated, clawing his fingers into the sheets while his head was ready to explode.

Suddenly, he heard voices outside of his door but he was not able to match them so he opened his eyes with greatest effort and turned his head to the side to see who it was. He watched how the handle was pushed down slowly and the door opened. His brother's white thatch peeked in from behind the door and then he was rushing into his hospital room, tears in his eyes and a soft smile on his lips while he crouched down next to his older brother's bed so they were at eye level. A barely noticeable smile spread on Sesshoumaru's powerless features as he saw his younger brother. What was Inuyasha doing here? Wasn't he supposed to be studying and out of town for some more weeks? He dismissed his thoughts for the time being. With affection in his gaze, Sesshoumaru went to great pains to raise his hand, to which a tube was attached, and tousled his younger brother's hair fondly.

"You…" he began with hoarse voice while Inuyasha pricked up his ears. "…crybaby." He grinned shortly and his hand fell from his brother's head, who grasped it into his own while more tears gathered in his eyes. Sesshoumaru looked past him as he noticed how their parents entered the room. His father looked more or less composed, but his mother, usually the epitome of competence and composure, was in a state of agitation he had never experienced her in before. He drew his brows together confused, worry obvious in his expression while Kimiko let go of her husband's hand and dabbed off the tears out the corners of her eyes with a tissue. She managed a small smile while she stepped to the side of his sickbed. She raised a hand and brushed Sesshoumaru's cheek in a affectionate gesture, while her tears were starting to fall again and she sobbed.

With still worried eyes, he turned towards his father, since his mother as well as Inuyasha seemed to be agitated and nervous wrecks.

"Father, Mother." He greeted them belatedly, looking from one to the other confused, before he raised his hand with the utmost effort and wiped the tears off of his mother's cheeks, shaking his head slightly to prevent her from shedding more tears. She gave him a slight smile and put her hand against his, which was pressed against her cheek, squeezing it before she took it in hers and squeezed it lightly again.

Sesshoumaru was confused. Inuyasha was very fixated on his appearance and someone who didn't show his feelings easily, which he had probably adapted from his older brother, and yet he was sitting next to him, tracks of shed tears visible on his cheeks, his hair disheveled, the shirt rumpled and he didn't seem to mind in the least how others saw him. His mother, Kimiko, paragon of calmness and perfection, had her make-up smeared under her eyes, tears were streaming down her cheeks and her lips were red and swollen, as if she had bitten down on them too long and too hard. Her beige blouse looked the worse to wear, strands of hair have come loose from her put-up hairdo, but she also didn't seem to care about the picture she presented.

"Father" his voice a hoarse whisper, he turned back to Toga, who was standing at the foot of his bed, frowning and with dark circles around his eyes, which testified sleepless nights. His hands were wrapped around one of the balustrades' metal bars and even he bore sings of exhaustion and stress, although they were not as visible as Kimiko's or Inuyasha's. "Father, what happened?" Sesshoumaru asked finally, since he still could not remember.

"You had an accident." His father began and gulped, took a deep breath and tightened the hold onto the metal rod, while he told his son of the accident's circumstances. Sesshoumaru listened attentively with a neutral facial expression, while fragments of the described evening were flashing in his mind. Everything was one big blur, incoherent and dark. The only thing that was very clear in his memory was the pain he had experienced. "…because of the rainy streets, he lost his footing and drove onto your lane where he hit the driver's side of your car, whereupon it turned over repeatedly. He came out alive with some minor injuries." Toga explained while he turned his gaze away from his son. Sesshoumaru's gaze was lost, he had listened attentively and nodded, but his thoughts were somewhere else.

"Hn. How long am I here already?" he asked at last. "I have a meeting with Nagoya Inc.'s CEO on Wednesday, on Thursday a presentation about backup resources and a-"

"Sesshoumaru!" Toga adjured his son to stop talking. Sesshoumaru was very preoccupied since he was the future owner of the Taishou Inc. and in his endeavor to make his father proud and be as good as he, he was constantly fixated on his work. He had always done his utmost to reach his aim and follow in his father's footsteps, and now Toga had to struggle because he would have to dash his son's efforts, trample out his hopes like a flame, because Sesshoumaru would not be able to work properly.

"You've been in a coma for several days, Sesshoumaru." Toga told him, realizing that he was acting just like the doctor before, beating around the bush. But now he understood how uncomfortable and horrid you feel if you have to break the bad news to someone. And especially, if it was your own blood. Toga gulped. It was now or never.

"Sesshoumaru, there's still more…" Toga started precariously, whereat Sesshoumaru watched him with a confused gaze. Kimiko sobbed anew and Inuyasha's tears began to spill at last.

"What is wrong?" he gave his brother and mother a look, which was worried and uncertain. "Why are you all in tears? I'm well now, am I not?" he stated with breaking voice while everyone remained silent.

The annoying beeping was the only sound in the room and it took Sesshoumaru to the verge of lunacy again.

"Father?" he inquired finally with pleading eyes. "What is wrong with me?" he emphasized every single word, not able to comprehend what their problem was.

"Sesshoumaru, my son…" Toga stepped around the bed and next to his wife. He put a calming hand on her shoulder, the other one he put on his son's leg. "Sesshoumaru, can you feel that?" he asked and squeezed. Sesshoumaru didn't even flinch. He shook his head no, frowning. "And that?" Toga reached for the other leg, again no reaction.

Sesshoumaru turned his gaze away from his father, while his face turned into a mask of lack of emotion. Comprehension flashed in his golden eyes before they became dull. Gathering all of his strength, he tore his hands away from his mother's and brother's grasps with a single jerk, before he folded them in his lap.

"Sesshouma-" his mother began, reaching for his hand but he cut her off harshly.

"Leave!" he demanded with an icy voice.

"But Sesshoumaru, honey-" she tried again.

"I told you to leave!" he hissed, his voice constantly breaking and he closed his eyes in a bid to ignore his family.

"It's for the best, Kimiko." Toga whispered to his wife and squeezed her shoulder. "He has to rest."

Kimiko was staring at her beloved son with eyes widened in shock. Never has he treated her so harshly and crudely, he was always charming even though he was introverted. But this… she shook her head, putting a hand on her husband's and sobbed, before she stood from the stool. She leaned over her son and put a kiss against his forehead before she turned around and buried her face in her husband's chest. Toga wrapped his arms around his trembling wife, stroking her back calmingly. Inuyasha didn't really know what to do so he lowered his head like a kicked dog and bit his lip to stifle his cry of pain while he stood up and turned towards the door. Toga pulled his wife towards Inuyasha and together they left the hospital room, leaving behind a profoundly changed Sesshoumaru.

* * *

"Well, if we'd change something with the light in the smaller temple… for instance use candles instead of electrical light – which would further emphasize the ambience – that would be another money saver."

The young girl brushed a stray hair behind her ear murmuring under her breath while she gazed at the bills before her, twirling her pencil nervously between her fingers before she tapped it against her compressed lips. Desperately, she stared at the numbers, trying to find any solution for their financial problems but it didn't seem to materialize out of thin air, which was what Kagome Higurashi had silently hoped for. She frowned and tore her hair, when her constantly cheerful mother, Akemi Higurashi, entered the living room with a cup of tea, which she put down on the table in front of her diligent daughter before she patted her hair tenderly.

"Don't worry, Kagome, we'll manage it just the way we did these past years." She assured her daughter with a happy smile before she decided to go and work in the garden.

Kagome turned back to the bills they had to pay somehow. To live in a shrine was nowhere near as relaxing as it might seem. Her last 18 years had been a mixture of school and shrine work – with Tokyo being their location, they did have much work and many visitors, although not nearly enough for everything to work out smoothly. Since their father died, leaving her alone with her mother, her younger brother Souta and her grandfather, they were deep in debt. Her mother worked the whole day long to earn as much money as possible. Souta was still attending school and her gramps looked after the shrine. Kagome was also still attending school but she feared that she'd have to drop from school to find a job; otherwise they wouldn't manage to pay the bills, even though her mother thought differently. They couldn't lose the shrine, it had been in the Higurashi's possession for centuries and it was everything they had. Kagome would make sure that it would remain this way.

* * *

"Kagome, you have a visitor!" her mother's voice reached the young girl's ears, which was currently sitting in her room, raising her eyebrows. A visitor?

She jumped off her bed and rushed down the stairs. As she realized who was standing in the doorway she almost – as clumsy as she was – ran straight into him.

"Miroku-kun!" she exclaimed happily and threw herself in his arm, which were awaiting her already. She pressed herself against her best friend grinning, happy to have him here again. "What are you doing here, Roku?" she asked him still grinning, while he mussed up her hair playfully.

"Long story, Gome. But it's nice to see you again." He assured her with a warm smile which she returned immediately, before she dragged him upstairs to her room. She let herself fall on her bed while he looked around her room, grinning roguishly. "Looks just the same as the last time I was lying in this bed."

Laughing, Kagome hit his arm playfully as he fell on the bed next to her. "Tell me everything, Roku! How was it in Kyoto?"

Miroku told her extensively of the college life in the megapolis Kyoto, about his medical study which will cost him another three costly years of his free time and about the many people he met there, before he asked Kagome about her life.

Worriedly, she told him about their financial problems and her thought of breaking up with school to find a job. Although she doubted that she'd have any luck. After all, she was living in the capital and finding a job here was like finding a needle in a haystack.

Sighing, she fell back onto the bed and grabbed a pillow, which she pressed against her chest. "What am I supposed to do, Roku? We can't lose the shrine, it's everything my family has!"

"Calm down, Gome, you'll surely come up with something! You always come up with something!" he tried to convince her with a charming smile and to calm her down and she sighed yet nodded. She'll come up with something for sure.

"Tell me, Roku, why are you back in Tokyo already? I didn't expect you back before the end of the next semester." Kagome inquired interested, since Miroku has always been a rather exemplary student and she didn't believe that he would skip a semester voluntarily.

"A friend had to return to Tokyo as fast as possible because of an accident in the family and since the next semester is only starting in over a month and he suggested for me to join him, I grabbed the chance." He winked, although his expression became concerned after the explanation of his arrival.

_An accident?_

Kagome was about to ask again when her mother called them for dinner. "Miroku, Kagome! Dinner's ready!"

"Oh yes!" Miroku exclaimed enthusiastically. "How much I missed the Higurashi-dinners in Kyoto!" He was already jumping up from the bed and rushing down the stairs while Kagome watched him amused.

As she stepped into the living room, Miroku was already bolting everything edible, while he teased Souta about his height and her gramps just shook his head. Kagome smiled about this domestic scene – she had missed the charming and cheerful boy.

She sat down and picked up her chopsticks, started eating and forgot for the short time of the dinner all of her other worries, while she and Miroku had fun teasing her younger brother, who was raging at the tiniest bagatelle, so the both of them had to hold her tummies, laughing out loud.

Finally – after what felt like her mother's tenth request – they calmed down more or less and ate silently. While Miroku was caught in a conversation about holy jewels or something like this with her gramps, Souta told them about his day at school, how he had beaten all of the boys in the relay race today. Kagome mussed up his hair tenderly and Miroku – who had eavesdropped on them – chimed in.

"See, kiddo? Even with your short legs you were able to outrun them." He teased the boy again who merely stuck his tongue out at him. Miroku tousled his hair grinning.

"Oh, Kagome, have you already heard the news about the Taishou's?" her mother asked eventually, as the men were stuck in a conversation about martial arts.

"The ones from the communication company?" Kagome asked and her mother nodded. "No, I haven't heard anything."

"Their oldest son and future owner of the Taishou Inc. had obviously had a severe car accident, whereat he was in coma for some days." Akemi explained, shaking her head – she felt pity for a young man she didn't even know.

Kagome huffed. "He probably thought he could afford it and was driving like a madman. It would be his own fault, mom." Kagome defended herself with raised hands as she saw her mother's angry gaze at her daughter's derogatory comment.

"He wasn't." Miroku suddenly chimed in, but Kagome didn't understand what he was referring to.

"Roku?"

"He wasn't. Driving like a madman, that is." Miroku explained as he turned to the women. "It wasn't his fault."

"It wasn't?" Kagome asked skeptically.

"It was raining and a van lost its footing on the highway. It skidded onto his lane, whereat it bumped into Sesshoumaru's driver's side, whose car turned over a few times until it skidded upside down to the roadside." The women sucked in the air terrified, as they heard this accurate portrayal of the accident.

"How tragic!" her mother breathed, while Kagome watched her best friend confused.

"How do you know that, Roku?"

"I told you that a friend had to return because of an accident, right? Well, this friend of mine is Inuyasha Taishou. Toga Taishou's youngest son and Sesshoumaru's brother. He was devastated as he heard what happened to his brother."

Kagome lowered her head in shame. Her prejudices against the rich made her jump to conclusions and she felt bad for deploring the Taishou son so hastily, although the car accident obviously hadn't been his fault – he had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. "A-and how is the Taishou-heir?" she asked.

"I don't know. I haven't spoken with Inuyasha after Sesshoumaru awakened from the coma, yet. I should probably call him and ask how Sesshoumaru is feeling…" Miroku mused and Akemi nodded.

"Go on, Miroku-kun, use the phone while we'll clean up." She suggested smiling and he thanked her with a small smile.

Kagome stood up and helped her mother with the dishes while Souta disappeared into his room and her gramps went to the attic, looking for some kind of lucky charms for Miroku.

Miroku called Inuyasha's mobile and after the fourth ring, he answered the phone.

"Inuyasha Taishou" he barked into the phone and Miroku frowned worriedly.

"Hey, Yasha. It's me, Miroku. How are you doing?" he asked straightforwardly, because he knew it made no sense to beat around the bush.

"I'm feeling like shit. Father is desperate, Mother is a nervous, crying wreck and Sesshoumaru…" Inuyashas voice broke and Miroku knew that it wasn't good.

"I-is he alright? How was the surgery?" he asked carefully, praying that everything went well.

"He's alive." Inuyasha retorted sharply, still Miroku sighed with relief. Thank the Kamis!

After a short break, he asked again. "…but?"

"Miroku… Hell! He's fucking paralyzed! From the hips downwards." The silver-haired man exclaimed desperately and Miroku froze, his hand wrapped around the phone, the eyes widened. He didn't notice how Kagome and Akemi joined him in the living room, exchanging worried looks.

"Damn…" Miroku murmured. "Fuck, Yasha, I'm so sorry, man." Miroku as well as Inuyasha weren't men who expressed their feelings and emotions openly, none of them had their hearts on their sleeves, nevertheless, in the light of such circumstances, both of them were not able to hold back their emotions.

"I-I just can't understand it. W-why did it have to be him? He has no fucking fault in this whole, damn accident; he just had the bad luck to be in the wrong place. And while the other bastard came out of this whole thing without injuries, my brother had to fight for his life and now he isn't even able to walk anymore!" Inuyasha growled, fury filling his voice and although Miroku was a pacific man, he could comprehend his friend's reaction easily.

"I-I'm so sorry, Inuyasha, I really don't know what to tell you… can I help you somehow? If there is anything I could do for you and your family, just say the word, alright, Inuyasha?"

"Thanks, Miroku… first of all, we have to try to calm Sesshoumaru down and get him accustomed to the situation. You cannot imagine how harsh and cruel he had treated our mother, once he found out… I cannot imagine it, although I witnessed it! I mean, it's Sesshoumaru we're talking about…" Inuyasha said incredulously, which Miroku could easily comprehend.

He had met Sesshoumaru twice, on Inuyasha's two last birthdays and he's always been polite and respectful although he's introverted, his approach to women was charming and obliging, he was the epitome of charm. It was understandable that Inuyasha was shocked about this change of attitude, but you could not hold it against the Taishou-heir… who wouldn't be embittered in such a situation?

Inuyasha shook his head on the other side of the line to clear his thoughts, then he sighed. "I hope, he'll get back to being the old Sesshoumaru, soon… but first we have to find someone whom he'll fit it off with and who'll be able to care for him, while our parents are indisposed." He sighed again.

"A carer?" Miroku inquired, while he darted a short, pensive look at the women sitting at the table.

"Yes, but it's not as easy as it sounds… Sesshoumaru spurns any and everybody, he denies even us, seals up completely, we cannot get through to him… i-it is really bad, Miroku." Inuyasha uttered.

"Inuyasha, I think I could help you with that." Miroku said, while he watched Kagome estimating, who was looking at him insecurely.

"How?" Inuyasha inquired confused.

"A very good friend of mine is looking for a job. She's a prospective miko and has experience with treatment and dealing with injured. Furthermore, she can be really intimidating and annoying, of course positively." Miroku teased his friend, who stuck out her tongue at him. "But I'm quite sure, if there's someone to get through to him, it is Kagome in her defiant, charming manner."

"Thanks for your help, Miroku, but I think my parents will consider professional carers first… but if nothing works, maybe I'll get back to you, bro."

"All right, Yasha. Don't worry, the thing with Sesshoumaru? It'll get better. Talk to you soon. Give your parents my regards. See you."

"Take care, Roku."

Miroku hung up and ran his fingers through his hair desperately, before he sighed loudly.

"What's wrong, Roku?" Kagome finally asked, confused about Miroku's reaction and that he talked about her with his friend.

"Sesshoumaru is… he is paralyzed. From the hips downwards." Miroku explained with a shake of his head, bowing it, while the women sucked in the air sharply, eyes as big as saucers.

"Oh my God, Miroku, I'm so sorry…" Kagome breathed and patted his hand across the table. Although she didn't really know Sesshoumaru or Inuyasha, she felt deep compassion for her friend, who seemed to be affected by this whole situation gravely. She felt bad for talking so bad about the young heir earlier and lowered her head, similar to Miroku. Her mother patted her back before she stood up to make tea. This was very typical for Akemi; she thought tea could always help.

Miroku sighed. "I-I don't know him that well, but the times I met him, he was the paragon of charm and vitality… I just cannot imagine him on a wheelchair or tied to a bed…"

Kagome was speechless; she had no idea what to answer, so she stood up and walked around the table, pulling her friend into a tight embrace. Her mother had put the tea on the table some time ago and then retreated silently. At last, Miroku drew back from Kagome and turned toward the tea, in which he was staring with a vacant gaze.

"They're looking for a carer. Sesshoumaru has sealed himself off from everybody and doesn't let anybody near him. He rejects everyone. I-I thought… since you're looking for a job… and you're so good with people… Inuyasha said, he'll get back to me… it's okay for you, right Gome?" Miroku asked finally, raising his head and watching her with a forlorn look in his eyes.

"Of course it is, Roku. Although I doubt that they won't find anybody, but should he get in touch with you about it, I would be happy to be able to attend to his brother, to care for him. It is better than no job." She assured him with a small smile and offered him to sleep over since it was late and he was now a nervous wreck. He accepted the offer and Kagome prepared a room for him. Once she was finally lying in her own bed late at night, the feeling of guilt about forejudging the heir was still present and she was hoping for his sake, that he would get better soon. At last, she drifted into a restless sleep.

* * *

_Thank you for reading! :)_


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